Last.



PATENTED MAR. 5, 1907.

J. H. WAITR- LAST.

APPLICATION rum) MAY 19. 1905.

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UNITED STATES JOHN H. l/VAITE, OF BROOKTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

LAST- i Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 5, 1907.

Application filed May 19,1905. Serial No. 261,098.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN H. WAITE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brockton, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, haveinvented a new and useful Last, of which the following is a specificat1on.

This invention relates to a last which has been specially designed for use in making Blucher shoes.

The especial object of this invention is to provide a last having its instep portion pro vided with venting the uneven stretching of the front portion of a shoe-upper during the process of lasting.

To these ends this invention consists of the last manufactured and combination of parts therein as hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a side view of a last constructed according to this invention. Fig. 2 is a detached view of the front plate, which may be applied to the instep portion of the last. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the type of shoe which is intended to be lasted upon a last embodying this invention.

In making what are known as Blucher shoes considerable difliculty is now experienced in doing lasting without wrinkling or distorting the front part of the shoe. This is illustrated to best ad vantage in Fig. 3 of the drawings, which shows an ordinary style of Blucher shoe. In making this type it has heretofore been a matter of considerable difficulty to last the shoe without forming vertically-extending wrinkles or folds in the leather. For example, in lasting the shoe illustrated in Fig. 3 where an ordinary last is used that portion of the shoe-upper A which lies between the two flaps B is liable to be stretched down toward the toe of the shoe, forming vertically-extending wrinkles or folds in the leather. A last constructed according to this invention is especially designed to overcome this difficulty, and this is accomplished by providing the instep portion of the last with transverse recesses or grooves or depressions for pre-' I depressions, which will cooperate with the fastening-strings or temporary lacings to prevent the leather from stretching out of place during lasting.

Referring to Fig. 1 for a detailed description of a last constructed according to this invention, the last herein illustrated comprises a fore part 10 and heel part 11. The fore part 10 and heel part 11 may be connected by the usual hinge 12, and the parts of the last may be maintained in normal position by a spring-fastening 13. It is to be understood that I have illustrated my invention applied to the hinged type last for the purposes of illustration merely and that my invention is equally applicable to other types of lasts. In the last herein illustrated I have inserted a metal plate 1 1, which is fastened in place by screws or rivets 15 and has transverse grooves 16. In the use of a last as thus constructed the strings or other temporary lacings which are employed to fasten the shoe onto the last while the shoe is beingmade will draw or fold the leather into the transverse corrugations, so as to prevent undue stretching or straining of the leather during lasting. In practice I have found equally good results may be secured by corrugations or depressions formed directly in the Wood of the last but I prefer to employ an inlaid metal plate, so as to provide a more durable and serviceable construction.

I am aware that changes may be made in applying my invention to different styles of lasts by those who are skilled in the art without departing from the scope of my invention as expressed in the claims. I do not wish, therefore, to be limited to the particular last I have herein shown and described; but

What I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. As an article of manufacture, a last for making Blucher shoes and the like having'its instep portion provided with stationary depressions adapted to cooperate with fastening-strings or temporary lacings to hold the fore part of a shoe-upper from undue longitu-, dinal stretching during the lasting operation, the last from the toe to the instep portion being smoothf 2. As an article of manufacture, a last for- In testimony whereof I have hereunto set making Blucher shoes, having a transverselymy hand in the presence of two subscribing 1o grooved metallic plate inlaid into the instep witnesses. portion of the last, whereby the grooves of 5 said plate cooperate with the fasteningstrings or temporary lacings to hold the witnesses: leather of the instep portion of a shoe-upper K. E. HoY, from being unduly stretched during lasting. LoUIs W. SOUTHGATE.

lioHN n. WATTE. 

